December 6, 2012

WHEN YOU SAW THE IMAGE ABOVE did you think you were on your veterinarian’s blog? OK, it’s a little unusual to talk about animals’ teeth on our practice blog but we know lots of our patients are pet owners—and a little trivia once in a while is fun.

Any Dog Owners Out There?

We know that some of you own dogs. Sometimes we forget how important it is to care for their teeth. At the end of this blog post we have a video explaining how to brush your dog’s teeth! It’s not as hard as you may think. Then again, you may just want your veterinarian to do it! You decide (see video at bottom of post).

Interesting Animal Teeth Trivia

Did you know that African elephants have just four massive molars to chew with? That’s right, only four! And did you know that their tusks are actually huge, overgrown incisors?

Here are some other creatures with interesting teeth:

Mice: Like other rodents, mice have incisors that never stop growing. They have to continuously wear them down by gnawing and chewing.

Geese: Birds don’t have teeth—not really. It’s one of their qualifying characteristics. However, many geese have serrations on their beaks that can look suspiciously like teeth. They’re called lamellae.

Narwhals: The narwhal horn is the most complicated and mysterious tooth in nature. Yes, that’s right, it’s a tooth. It wasn’t until fairly recently that scientists discovered the narwhal’s horn is used primarily for navigation.

Sharks: Sharks lose thousands of teeth in their lifetime. They shed them the way other animals shed fur. Their teeth aren’t even connected with roots like ours, so it’s easy-come-easy-go.

Dolphins: Dolphin teeth grow a new layer every year. One could actually count the rings to determine a dolphin’s age, just as you would with a tree.

Snails: Yes, we refer to them as teeth, but they’re very different from ours. Snails have thousands of tiny “teeth” on their tongues—made of chitin. These teeth help with scraping/grinding food, and they’re constantly regenerating.

Helping A Grizzly Bear Brush His Teeth

This comes from the North Carolina Zoo:

And Here’s The Video About Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth

Man’s best friend counts on you for good oral health:

Do you know any interesting trivia about animals’ teeth? If so, share it below or on our Facebook page!

And remember, if you ever have a question about YOUR OWN teeth, be sure to ask us. We’re happy to answer any of your questions.